Spain’s most famous wine region could arguably stake a claim to being the world’s most popular one too – it’s a rare wine drinker who hasn’t been wooed by the charms of Rioja. And while we’re big fans of the good everyday bottles – what we think of as Wednesday night, sausage-and-mash gluggers – we thought it was time for another tasting to show what happens when the producers pull all the stops out. Because this is a place with a magnificent heritage, a magnificent terroir – or to be more accurate several magnificent terroirs – and a magnificent array of grape varieties. So join us as we explore the higher reaches of Rioja, and look at the many expressions of its wines. There’ll be traditional wines, there’ll be modern ones. There’ll be wines made from a variety of grapes, there’ll be ones made from just one. There’ll be young wines, there’ll be older wines. There'll be blends from across the region, but there'll also be examples of the recently-introduced 'Viñedo Singular' - single vineyard wines. And in among the delicious reds, there’ll be at least one of the undersung white wines. We’ll be trying at least eight wines with an average price of over £25 – and there’ll be some Manchego to nibble on the side. It’s a great opportunity to see what makes a great wine region great, and we look forward to sharing these treasures with you.
Join Stephie from Hoop & Fred for an afternoon of creative self-care in this Stamp & Stitch workshop!
Authentic Art workshops led by a local artist.
Join Debbie Tomkies for this relaxed, fun workshop in Altrincham. You’ll be making a beautiful needle felted landscape picture in your choice of colours and designs. Suitable for all levels.
There are lots of people who think that the first task of any wine is to be red. We meet you at our events, and while you’re (usually) very polite about the white wines, your eyes light up when we say, ‘And now let's move on to the reds…’ So we’re putting on a tasting just for you, in which we’ll focus on rich red wines, seven of them, with some rather tasty cheese on the side. To show that red wine can be full-flavoured without being full-bodied, we’ll begin with reds that are refreshing and fragrant, probably from Italy and France. Then we’ll move on to wine that are draughts of the warm south, most likely from countries close to the Mediterranean. Spain. And we’ll finish with gutsy Malbec or Australian Shiraz (aka Blood-and-Thunder from Down Under). Or possible both. Whatever the line-up, you can be assured of an excellent, belly-warming and tooth-staining evening.
Authentic Art workshops led by a local artist.
Cheese and wine are known as a classic combination, but when you examine a well-stocked dairy counter and then the shelves at a good wine shop, the obvious question that comes to mind is this: just which cheese with which wine? Now's the chance to engage in a couple of hours of research on the topic, as we match a range of delicious cheeses with some classic wines from around the globe. We'll also talk about food and wine matching more generally, and you'll pick up some really good tips to take away and practice at home. On the evening we will try six different cheese and wine combinations, some of them classics - goat's cheese with Sauvignon Blanc, mature Cheddar with a Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend, Stilton and port - but some less well-known. Have you ever tried cheese with sparkling wine, for example? So don your foodie hat, wet your wine whiskers and come along for an evening of fun and fromage!